Apparatus for recording speeds of vehicles.



A. E. C. DECKERT.

APPARATUS FOR REGORDHYG SPEEDS OP VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8, 1912.

1,054,398. Patented Feb.25,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

(11M $43M M A. E. O. 'DEGKERT. APPARATUS FOR RECORDING SPEEDS 0E VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8, 1912.

1,054,398, Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

3 SHEETSBHEET 2.

A. E. G. DEOKBRT.

APPARATUS FOR RECORDING SPEEDS 0F VEHICLES. APPLAGATION FILED AUG. 8, 1912. 1,054,398, Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

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AUGUST ERNST CARL DECKERT, 0F DRESDEN, GERMANY.

AEPAEHQEUS FUR RECORDING SPEEDS 0F VEHICLES.

.llfleddfi d. Specification of 'Letters Patent.

Application filed August 8, 1912 mary object is to provide a speed indicator.

in combination with a kilometer-counter] which so coacts with'an ink-ribbon of various colors that from time to time, c. from kilometer to kilometer, or at each fraction of a kilometer, a traveling paper strip has printed on it a record of the reading of the kilometer counter in a color which indicates the speed at that moment;

in this way the speeds attained during a given time can always be determined.

Devices for automobiles and the like have already been proposed whose object is to enable the traveler, or some third person, 6. g. a policeman, to ascertain at what speed the vehicle is traveling. For this purpose a plate has been employed having three horizontal fields or spaces of different colors, which was movedbehind an aperture by a centrifugal device driven by the wheel of the vehicle, it being thus possible to determine from the color appearing at the aperture approximately at what speed the vehicle was traveling at any time. In addition, a kilometer-counter which at certain time-intervals prints 0. record of its reading on a paper strip, is also known.

The apparatus according to my invention differs from the above devices in that l employ in combination with the printing kilo- 1neter-counter, an interibbon having variously colored subdivisions, spaces or fields, so that the readings of the counter are from time to time printed on a paperstrip in that color of the ribbon which corresponds to the speed of the vehicle at the time. As the records are printed behind an aperture, the traveler can ascertain from each record the speed of the vehicle. The various colore of the ribbon, e. g. black, blue, green, red, yellow, correspond to various speeds, e. (yd-0,5, 25, 50, 75, 100 kilometers. The ribbon runs over two spools, and the kilometer-counter of a. form known in itself is so arranged that its raised figures serve as printing type and are caused by afsuitable Serial No. 714,111.

device to strike the ribbon onto the record strip at each kilometer traveled, or at each predetermined work, but isfeda certain distance by the mechanism of the speed-counteritself at each kilometer or fraction thereof which is traveled. -The ink-ribbon, however, is operatively connected with the mechanism of the speed-indicator and is thus fed correspondingly.

Une illustrative embodiment of my invention is represented by way of example in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 section, showing a preferred construction of is a front elevation, partly in' fraction of a kilometer. This record strip is not drivenby clockmy speedvrecorder, Fig. 2 is a vertical crosssection, Fig. 3 a horizontal section, and Figs. 4: to 6 show the records as printed.

Referring to the drawings, a spindle 3, journaled in the downward projection 2 of thecasing 1, is operatively connected with the wheel of the vehicle in such manner that it rotates synchronously therewith. The upper end of the spindle 3 carries a yoke 4, in one of whose arms is journaled the pin 6 carrying the centrifugal lever 5. of this lever holds the centrifugal ball 'i', and the other is subjected to the action of a spring 8. The upper'end of the other arm of the yoke 4: has a guide 9, in which slides one end of a rod 10, of square or polygonal section, whose other" end is movable in the bearing 11 fast on the casing 1. Therod 10 contains at different heights two racks 12, 13, the former meshing with a pinion 1% fast on the axle 15 carrying the pointer 16. This pointer moves over a. scale 17 and thus indicates to the driver of the vehicle the, speed at each moment. The other rack 13 meshes with a piniqn 18 fast on the axle 19, and the motiouof the latteris transmitted by bevelgears 20, 21 to the axle 22 carrying the spool 23. The axle 22 is journaled in bearings, 61 fast on the'casing 1. On the side of the casing opposite these bearings and at the same height are the bearings 62, in which is .journaled the axle 24: carrying the spool 25. Looped around the two spools 23, 25 is an endless ribbon 26 which is provided with several variously colored subdivisions, squares or fields. In the illustrative em bodiment a designates a black field, b a-hlue field, a green field, 6 a red field and f a yellow? field. It will be understood that, when still higher speeds are to be recorded,

' ing manner: Fast on the yoke 4, 2'. e. on the spindle 3, is a spiral gear 30, engaging in a similar gear 31 fast on an axle The bevel-gears 33, 34 transmit the motion of the axle 32 to an axle 35 which carriesa Worm 36 engaging in a worm-wheel 37; the vertical axle 38 carrying the latter transmits its motion by means of the bevel-gears 39,40 to the axle 65 which is journaled in the bearings 63, fast on the casing, and carries the spool 28. The paper-strip'EZZ is therefore driven at a speed proportion'al'to the rota tional speedof the spindle 3or .he yoke i, and, movin' in the direction of th arrow 00 is wound o from the spool 29 onto the spool 28. Behind the place where the ink-ribbon 26 crosses the paper-strip 27 is fixed the.

plate 41, and in front of this crossing-place there is arranged the kilometer-counter 42 which, at certain time-intervals, is pressed against the plate 41 and records the reading of the counter at that moment. The axle 50 of the kilometer-counter 42'is journaled in the upper end of a frame 43 (Fig. 3) Whose lower end is carried by pointed pivotscrews 4A.- The counter 42 is driven by means of the worm 45 fast on the shaft 32, the motion being transmitted to the axle 50 of the counter by the worm-Wheel 46, a flexible shaft 47 and the bevel-gears 48, 49. In one side of the frame 43 are journaled the various wheels 51, 52, 53, 54: and 55, meshing one with another, the-last of these being fast on an axle 57 carrying a cam 56. A spring 59 tends to pull the frame 43, and with it the counter 42, toward the left (Fig. 2), so that the cam 56 bears against a stationary pin 58 and, when rotating, rolls on it in the direction shown by the arrow y in Fig. 2. As soon as the shoulder 64 of the cam has passed the pin 58, the recessed portion 60 of this cam allows the spring59 torock the frame-43 to the left and to bring the counter 42 against the plate 41 for recording the readingof the counter. When the cam is rotated further, it returns the counter 42 away from the plate 41.

The reading of the kilometer-counter is printed in that color of the band 26 which corresponds to the speed at that moment. When the vehicle is at rest the numbers on the kilometer-counter are exactly opposite the first color on the ribbon, c. 9. black. When the vehicle starts, however, it operates the speed-indicating mechanism which, by

left to right and. the

"When the counter records a 11* its color, the speed al. the time of :ne record. 1

noeaeee moving' tho ribbon, brings in front t kilometer-counler in turn the biue,'gree red and finally the yCllbw'color, and record strip accordingly becomes printed a color corresponding tothe speed.

The kilo ueler-counter may ie arm for recording numbers having 3, more digits. The length of each division of the ribbon exactly 001 with the total width occupied by hers on the counter, and the tot of the numbers oirthe counter, and he the length. of onecolorof the ribbon, is made to correspond to a speed whi h many times 5 kilometers as there 1 r in. one number on the counter say the width of. one digit on corresponds to 5 lrilomiters. can move from left to r o cording to the movement of eating pointer. l lhcn th ri V first di of the counter, e. tha value, is recorded entire, 5 kms. obtains. l i hen all recorded in blue, in the taken by way of example a spec km.':25 kins. is indicated. If, hr first or. highest digit on the left ap partly in blue and partly black, this in...

cates that the vehicle has not attained. a

speed of 5 lame,- but only of the number of kilometers denoted by the blue points pearing above and below the digit, as in Figs. -G in the accompanyim or wholly printed in the he green, it records that thevehicle of from 25 to 50- lrilonieters o only a portion or thewhole ct ti appears in. this color. 'Similaii number is red, the speed is lri. when yellow, kilometers, anc Hence each number ordcd also ole, by

I claim:

1. In apparatus for record is speeds of vehicles, the combination nun s1 indicator driven by the vehicle, and a mo ably mounted kilometer-connter comp flit; digits formed as types, driven. by the vehicle, of an ink-ribbonhaving a pl -rality of variously colored subdivisions driven longitudinally by the spbed-indicater, paper strip driven by the vehicle behind, in opera live relation to, and transversely of the ink-ribbon, and means for intermittently driving the counter against the part of the ii'lk-ribbhn immediately in front of the paper strip and thereby simultaneously making a record on the paper strip in a color or colors corresponding to the speed of Ilae vehicle.

3. in apparatus; for recording the speed of vehicles, the combination with. a centrifmenses ugal speed indicator driven by the vehicle, and a kilometer-counter mounted to rock comprising digits formed as types, driven by the vehicle, of an ink-ribbon having a plurality of variously colored subdivisions driven longitudinally by the speed indicator, a paper strip driven by'the vehicle behind, in operative relation to, and transversely of the ink-ribbon, a spring tending to'rock the counter againstthe part of the ink-ribbon immediately in front of the paper strip, and means driven by the counter for rocking the same against the action of the spring and suddenly releasing the same. a

3. In apparatus for recording the speeds of vehicles, the combination of a casing, a shaft carrying a yoke journaled therein, a

centrifugal lever fulcrumed in one arm of the yoke, a vertical rod having two toothed racks movable longitudinally in the other arm and bearing on said lever, a 1pointer rac geared with one of said toothed s, two spools mounted on the sides of the casing,

and an ink-ribbon divided into a plurality of squares of various colors carried by the spools, one of the spools being geared with the other toothed rack; two spools mounted on the top and bottom of the easing' a plate fixed in the casing behind the ribbon, and a paper strip carried by the latter spoois and passing between the ribbon and the plate, one of the latter spools being driven by the shaft; a kilometer-counter driven. by the shaft and mounted to rock in front of the part of the ribbon in front of the. plate, a spring tending to rock the counter toward the plate, a pin fixed. in the casing and a cam geared with the counter and rolling on the pin, the counter comprising disks having numbers formed as types.

In testimony whereof, K aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

in ense"- nimsr cant DECL'ERT.

Witnesses Pam; Arnie, CLARE SIMON. 

